


Out Into the Open

by Hellokaelyn



Category: NCIS
Genre: AU, Episode: s16e03 Boom, F/M, First Kiss, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, post episode
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-11
Updated: 2018-10-11
Packaged: 2019-07-29 08:29:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16260473
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hellokaelyn/pseuds/Hellokaelyn
Summary: Chapter 1: This time it's Ellie who waits outside. Post Episode.Chapter 2: Nick has another injury. AUish.





	1. Chapter 1

Things were reversed this time.

Last time, it was Nick waiting on her front steps for her to come home. Now, it was her sitting outside his apartment steps. 

Nick had stayed at the office a little later to wrap up the end of case paperwork that he missed while being in the hospital. 

Ellie closed her eyes for a few seconds.  _ Hospital _ . She  _ hated _ the place. Images of Qasim ran through her head but suddenly Qasim was replaced with Nick. She knew he wasn’t badly hurt just a ‘flesh wound’ as he said, but once she had time to stop and think on the drive home it suddenly hit her. It  _ could _ have been Nick in a hospital bed this time and who knows what the outcome could have been. 

And so without a second thought Ellie drove to Nick’s apartment to wait for him just like he did her. Well, without the alcohol in her system. 

“Ellie?”

Her head snapped up at his voice. She was so into her thoughts, she didn’t even hear him. 

“Hey.” She tried smiling but knew it fell weak.

“What’s up? Thought you went home.”

Nick reached his hand out to help her up, she placed her hand in his not being able to stop stumbling a little at the strength he pulled her up with. Okay, so he was definitely fine. Nick tried to let go of her hand but she threaded their fingers together instead. He gave her a confused look but shrugged it off as they walked to his door. 

It was a bit of a struggle for him to unlock the door with his hand attached to hers but he didn’t seem to mind the contact. Ellie finally let go when they got inside, moving to sit on his couch as he quickly grabbed two beers out of his fridge. 

He let out a grunt as he dropped onto the couch beside her. 

“You should be careful.” She pointed out. 

Nick shrugged with a small flinch making her give him a look. He chuckled. “I’m fine, trust me I've had worse.”

“Because  _ that’s _ a comforting thought.” Ellie said sarcastically. 

“Okay seriously Ellie, why are you here? It’s not like you didn’t see that I was okay earlier.”

Ellie shifted in her spot. “I just...I started thinking, what if it was worse?”

“But it wasn't.” He reminded her. 

“But it  _ could _ have been!” Her voice getting louder. “God Nick, I don’t need to lose another person I love!” 

Nick’s mouth dropped open.

Ellie realized what she said...out loud. 

“Oh no no no.” She shot up from the couch and ran for the door, almost making it before Nick’s arm was suddenly pulling on her wrist, yanking her around roughly enough that she knocked against his chest. 

His eyes were wide and she started panicking again...until she noticed the grin also on his face.

“Did you just say you love me?”

“I...I...what no! Of course not!” She tried moving away but his arm came around her waist holding her to his chest. God he smelled good. “The hospital must have gave you something that’s only hitting you now! Making you hear things!” 

“Ellie.” Nick’s eyes suddenly softened from their amusement. 

She let her body relax from her tense posture, her cheeks a slight pink from embarrassment. “It wasn’t supposed to come out like that.”

Nick raised an eyebrow. “And how was it supposed to be?”

“I don’t know.” She sighed. “Not me just blurting it out that’s for sure.”

“Well in that case..” Nick’s arm, the one not around her waist, moved up as his hand moved to cradle her cheek. “I love you too.”

Ellie had known he felt something for her, he was pretty obvious about it. But she honestly didn’t think he felt that strongly about her though maybe that was also obvious with the way he confided in her about Clay, something she knew he didn’t do often or if at all with people. He was the type of person to keep things inside until he exploded, he didn’t share his feelings. Except with her.  _ That _ should have been a big clue. 

“You do?” She asked in almost a whisper. 

Nick smirked and crashed his mouth against hers, she probably would have fell down from how weak her knees went if he wasn’t holding her. Ellie gripped onto him tightly from wherever she could, kissing him back with a passion she had never experienced before. Certainly not with Jake, not even Qasim. Though maybe that wasn’t so shocking, Nick  _ was _ a passionate guy in all aspects. 

Their passionate kiss soon became almost frantic as clothes started getting pulled off, neither of them realizing they were walking backwards towards his bedroom until Nick’s back hit a wall and he suddenly pulled his mouth from hers with a hiss of pain. 

Ellie almost started apologizing, opening her mouth to use what little air she had left at the moment to ask if he was again.

Until laughter came out instead. 

Nick looked insulted for a minute until he cracked a smile soon joining her. 

“What...are we laughing at?” Nick asked breathlessly, from the lack of air from their make out session, to the laughter. 

Ellie giggled. “No idea.”

Both of them looked at the other, to the little trail of clothes behind them, only to start laughing again. 

Or...until Ellie stopped to notice the shirtless man in front of her. And boy was he  _ something _ to look at. 

“Like what you see?” Nick said smugly. Ellie smacked his arm, which made Nick’s attention land on her own shirtlessness. 

Nick looked her over with a heat in his eyes that made her flush. 

“Like what you see?” She teased. But of course Nick’s response was to smirk and bring her back against his chest.

“Very.” 

Ellie bit her lip. “Are we really doing this tonight? I mean I don’t want things to be awkward at work-”

“Ellie.” Nick laughed. “You do realize we’ve seen each other practically naked now, right? Things were bound to be awkward.”

“Oh.” She said sheepishly. “Right..”

He threw his head back and laughed, making a shiver run through her at the sound. 

“I don’t know about you but-” Nick lifted her up, making her squeal and wrap her legs around him to keep from falling. “I’m not done with you yet.”

“Nick!” She laughed loudly as she went from being wrapped around him to thrown over his shoulder. His wound forgotten as they both were on a high of love and hormones. 

Falling in love once was an amazing thrill she’d always remember, falling in love twice was a warmth in her life she needed, but falling in love a third time...was the healing she didn’t think she needed.  


	2. Chapter 2

_ Ellie watched as Gibbs and McGee walked out of the house with a handcuffed West.  _

_ “Nice hat.” Gibbs remarked to Nick.  _

_ She turned to Nick about to make a joking comment, when her eyes caught red seeping through his white t-shirt.  _

_ “Nick..” Ellie gasped, quickly moving to push his jacket aside before he could even react. _

_ Blood was only spreading further along the white. _

_ “Gibbs!” She shouted. Nick suddenly groaned, either from his ruined shirt or finally feeling the pain after the adrenaline started wearing off, she didn’t know.  _

_ She heard Gibbs come up beside her at a fast pace. In seconds Gibbs had his phone out dialing.  _

_ “I don’t need an ambulance.” Nick hissed out as Ellie lifted his shirt to inspect the wound.  _

_ It was definitely worse then the wound on his back. This was also a gunshot wound instead. Ellie felt her breath quicken at the thought. Not Nick...please not him.  _

Hours later Ellie sat in the waiting room chair bouncing her knee in nerves. Only Gibbs and McGee were with her, Gibbs having sent Palmer, Kasie, and Sloane home saying he’d call them with news. 

Both of them had tried comforting her in their own ways but nothing they did helped. 

Suddenly her phone rang. 

Ellie slipped it out almost pressing the reject button not being in the mood until she registered who it was. She got up, not saying a word as she went to a private corner to answer it. 

“Hey Abby.” 

_ “Oh god! Tim texted me what happened! Is Nick okay? Do you have any news? Wait of course you don’t, you’d sound happy if you did-” _

“Abby!” 

_ “Oh, right sorry. Ellie…” _

Ellie closed her eyes, leaning her head against the wall. “He was covering me.”

Abby sighed. _ “Of course he was-” _

“He shouldn’t have! I can take care of myself, it should have been me-”

_ “Ellie!” _ Abby shouted. “ _ First off, don’t say it should have been you. Second, you know why he did it.” _

Ellie felt her eyes water. Of course she knew of his feelings, it wasn’t like he tried hiding it that well. His glances, worrying, asking to carpool constantly, getting jealous when she hung out with guy friends, his confiding in her and not anyone else, but most of all it was his touches that did it. Like earlier when his hand had rubbed up and down her shoulder and arm. 

She was just scared of losing him like she lost Jake and Qasim. Losing Jake broke her for a while, losing Qasim shattered her glued back together pieces almost tearing her apart, but Nick...that would absolutely destroy her. He had become such a good friend to her that it hurt thinking admitting feelings between them would ruin that, but no matter how opposite they were, Nick made her believe in her childhood and teenage dreams of soulmates again. She once believed your soulmate was someone opposite to you so they could fill all the empty spots. 

Ellie was book smart while Nick was street smart, she was gentle while he was rough first, she was the country girl while he was the city boy, she had enough trust in people right off unless they proved her wrong while he didn’t trust anyone until he got to know them, she loved to eat junk food while he would rather eat healthy. 

_ “Ellie? You there?”  _

“Uh yeah, sorry Abby, got caught up in my thoughts.”

_ “No worries. How about you go back and wait for news, Tim will text me what happens and we’ll talk later.”  _

“Okay.” Ellie bit her lip. “Thanks for checking up on me.”

_ “No problem! Don’t think about it too much, you and Nick are like...meant to be, I know it!” _

Ellie soon hung up and was back in the waiting room in her chair. She had given Gibbs a nod to let him know she was okay while McGee gave her a knowing look. He must have told Abby to call her, she’d have to thank him later, Abby’s voice had helped calm her enough and it felt nice hearing the ‘meant to be’ comment she wasn’t going to lie. 

“Agent Torres?” A doctor asked.

All three of them stood up, Ellie practically jumping out of her seat. 

“How is he?” She asked quickly, not giving Gibbs a chance to ask. 

The doctor gave her a comforting smile. “Agent Torres will be just fine. He lost a good amount of blood so he’ll probably be sleeping for most of the night, the bullet luckily missed any vital organs but of course he’ll be out of work for a few weeks and on desk duty.”

McGee let out a noise. “He’s gonna hate that.”

Ellie’s lips lifted a little at the comment. Gibbs smirked a little in the corner of her eye. 

They spent a bit visiting Nick until McGee needed to get home, and Gibbs decided to go home too before coming back in the morning. 

Ellie told them she’d leave when visiting hours were over, but instead she had pulled the doctor aside asking for permission to stay.

Thankfully, she was allowed. Joys of being a federal agent she assumed. 

She had slept with her head on Nick’s bed for a few hours until his sudden shifting woke her up. 

“What..” Nick blinked the tiredness from his eyes. “What’re you doing here?” 

“Visiting you, duh.” 

Nick glanced out the window. 

“After visiting hours?”

Ellie shrugged. “Perks of being a federal agent?”

Nick chuckled with a wince. “I’m fine though.”

“You got shot covering me.” Ellie huffed out in a frustrated tone. “Of course I was staying!” 

“I don’t regret it.” Nick told her, his eyes holding some anger in them. “Better me be in here then you.” 

“Don’t do that!” Ellie said through clenched teeth. 

“A little too late for that, Ellie.”

She let out a frustrated noise and stood up going for the door.

“Wait.” 

She stopped without turning around.

“I can’t...I wouldn’t be able to handle it if you got hurt..and I did nothing to try and stop it.”

Ellie took a breath and turned around. “And you think I can handle  _ you _ hurt? Nick, i’ve lost enough people in my life, I know you have too, but I can’t lose you...don’t you get that?” 

“I get it.” Nick gestured for her to sit down again, but instead of going back into the chair, she sat beside him on the bed, just enough room for her to fit herself beside him. “I can’t lose you either, that’s why.”

“I don’t know what to do, Nick.”

“Do about what?” 

Ellie gestured between them. “This, us. And don’t deny it...we both know there’s more than just friendship going on here.” 

Nick looked away and nodded. “It’s not like I know what to do...it’s been a while since I felt this way Ellie.”

Her eyes softened. “We can work through it together.”

He slowly looked at her, a small smile that he always gave her on his face. 

Ellie decided to take a chance. She leaned over and kissed him softly. Nick right away returned the kiss.

She felt giddy inside at how  _ right _ it felt. 

“So does this mean you’re gonna be my nurse?” 

“Nick!” 

“I’m sure it can’t be too hard finding a nurse outfit online-”

“Don’t even think about it.”

“Come on Ellie-”

“I’m not one to hit someone who’s in a hospital bed but I swear-”

“Ah! No need to be violent-”

“And I was about to volunteer you stay at my apartment while you heal but if you’re just going to-”

“Wait wait! Ellie!”

“Thought so.” 

“So…”

“I’m not wearing the outfit.”

“I can be convincing, baby.” 

“Ugh.”


End file.
